Vachier-Lagrave outplayed Gelfand

Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime(2721) vs. Gelfand, Boris(2751)
39th Olympiad Men - Khanty-Mansiysk RUS - 2010.09.23

[Event "39th Olympiad Men"] [Site "Khanty-Mansiysk RUS"] [Date "2010.09.23"] [Round "3.17"] [White "Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime"] [Black "Gelfand, Boris"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D43"] [WhiteElo "2721"] [BlackElo "2751"] [PlyCount "73"] [EventDate "2010.09.21"] [EventType "team"] [WhiteTeam "FRA"] [BlackTeam "ISR"] {This game was played on the first board of the France-Israel match} 1. d4 {No Petroff, thanks!} d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 dxc4 7. e4 g5 8. Bg3 b5 {Maxime prefers this sharp anti-moscow gambit} 9. Be2 Bb7 10. h4 g4 11. Ne5 Rg8 12. Bxg4 Nbd7 13. Nxd7 Qxd7 14. Bf3 b4 (14... c5 {was played 3 times in the Gelfand - Leko match last month, Gelfand was white and scored 2,5/3. By playing b4 he probably wanted to avoid some home preparation... but according to Rybka it's the best move and Maxime was ready}) 15. Na4 c5 {attacking both white central pawns} 16. Nxc5 Bxc5 17. dxc5 Nxe4 18. Qxd7+ Kxd7 19. O-O-O+ (19. Rd1+ Ke7 20. Bd6+ Ke8 $11) 19... Ke8 20. Bf4 Nxc5 21. Bxb7 Nxb7 22. Bxh6 Nc5 (22... Rxg2 23. Be3 { and the Nb7 is not very impressive, but the h pawn is still ready to run}) 23. Be3 Nd3+ 24. Kb1 Rxg2 25. h5 {in the interview after the game, Vachier-Lagrave said he was prepared until there approximatively. White has sacrificed a pawn to get the h-passed pawn} f5 {this move looks logical to come with the king} 26. h6 Kf7 27. h7 Rh8 {White played h5 h6 h7 but what to do now ?} 28. b3 $1 { destabilizing the knight} e5 {black wants to stop Bd4 to take in f2} (28... Nxf2 29. Rd7+ Ke8 (29... Kf6 $2 30. Rh6+ Rg6 31. Bd4+ e5 32. Bxe5+ Kxe5 33. Rxg6 $18) 30. Rxa7 Nxh1 31. Ra8+ Kf7 32. Rxh8 Rh2 33. bxc4 Ng3 34. Bf4 Rh1+ 35. Kc2 Ne2 36. Be5 f4 37. Kd2 Nc3 38. Bxf4 Rh5 39. Be5 $1 Ne4+ 40. Kd3 Nf2+ 41. Kc2 Ng4 42. Bd6 $18) 29. bxc4 {Wath carefully this second passed pawn...} Nxf2 30. Bxf2 Rxf2 { at first sight one could think this endgame is balanced} 31. c5 { the sentence of this game is : passed pawns should be pushed !} Rf3 { Boris knows since a very long time that rooks should be behind passed pawns, so he is going to c3. But amazingly he is already dead lost!!} (31... e4 32. c6 e3 33. c7 e2 34. Rc1 $18) 32. c6 $18 (32. Rc1 $2 Rd3 33. c6 Rdd8 34. c7 Rc8 {beautiful picture :-) But it must be draw}) 32... Rc3 33. Rd7+ Kg6 (33... Ke6 34. Rh6# {is unexpected !}) (33... Ke8 34. Rg1 Rxc6 35. Rxa7 $18) 34. c7 { impressive: 2 pawns reached the seventh rank after a mere 34 moves} f4 35. Rd6+ Kg7 36. Rg1+ Kf7 (36... Kxh7 37. Rh1+ Kg7 38. Rd7+ Kg8 39. Rd8+ Kg7 40. Rdxh8 $18) 37. Rd8 {Maxime still had 1 hour on his clock. Very few players can say they defeated the ultra solid and experimented Boris Gelfand with so much ease. } 1-0

This game was played on the first board of the France-Israel match 1. d4 No Petroff, thanks! 1...  d5 2. c4 c6 3. Cc3 Cf6 4. Cf3 e6 5. Fg5 h6 6. Fh4 dxc4 7. e4 g5 8. Fg3 b5 Maxime prefers this sharp anti-moscow gambit 9. Fe2 Fb7 10. h4 g4 11. Ce5 Tg8 12. Fxg4 Cbd7 13. Cxd7 Dxd7 14. Ff3 b4 ( 14... c5 was played 3 times in the Gelfand - Leko match last month, Gelfand was white and scored 2,5/3. By playing b4 he probably wanted to avoid some home preparation... but according to Rybka it's the best move and Maxime was ready ) 15. Ca4 c5 attacking both white central pawns 16. Cxc5 Fxc5 17. dxc5 Cxe4 18. Dxd7+ Rxd7 19. O-O-O+ ( 19. Td1+ Re7 20. Fd6+ Re8 = ) 19...  Re8 20. Ff4 Cxc5 21. Fxb7 Cxb7 22. Fxh6 Cc5 ( 22... Txg2 23. Fe3 and the Nb7 is not very impressive, but the h pawn is still ready to run ) 23. Fe3 Cd3+ 24. Rb1 Txg2 25. h5 in the interview after the game, Vachier-Lagrave said he was prepared until there approximatively. White has sacrificed a pawn to get the h-passed pawn 25...  f5 this move looks logical to come with the king 26. h6 Rf7 27. h7 Th8 White played h5 h6 h7 but what to do now ? 28. b3! destabilizing the knight 28...  e5 black wants to stop Bd4 to take in f2 ( 28... Cxf2 29. Td7+ Re8 ( 29... Rf6? 30. Th6+ Tg6 31. Fd4+ e5 32. Fxe5+ Rxe5 33. Txg6 +- ) 30. Txa7 Cxh1 31. Ta8+ Rf7 32. Txh8 Th2 33. bxc4 Cg3 34. Ff4 Th1+ 35. Rc2 Ce2 36. Fe5 f4 37. Rd2 Cc3 38. Fxf4 Th5 39. Fe5! Ce4+ 40. Rd3 Cf2+ 41. Rc2 Cg4 42. Fd6 +- ) 29. bxc4 Wath carefully this second passed pawn... 29...  Cxf2 30. Fxf2 Txf2 at first sight one could think this endgame is balanced 31. c5 the sentence of this game is : passed pawns should be pushed ! 31...  Tf3 Boris knows since a very long time that rooks should be behind passed pawns, so he is going to c3. But amazingly he is already dead lost!! ( 31... e4 32. c6 e3 33. c7 e2 34. Tc1 +- ) 32. c6 +- ( 32. Tc1? Td3 33. c6 Tdd8 34. c7 Tc8 beautiful picture :-) But it must be draw ) 32...  Tc3 33. Td7+ Rg6 ( 33... Re6 34. Th6# is unexpected ! ) ( 33... Re8 34. Tg1 Txc6 35. Txa7 +- ) 34. c7 impressive: 2 pawns reached the seventh rank after a mere 34 moves 34...  f4 35. Td6+ Rg7 36. Tg1+ Rf7 ( 36... Rxh7 37. Th1+ Rg7 38. Td7+ Rg8 39. Td8+ Rg7 40. Tdxh8 +- ) 37. Td8 Maxime still had 1 hour on his clock. Very few players can say they defeated the ultra solid and experimented Boris Gelfand with so much ease. 1-0